The Way We Love

Vocalist and composer Shelly Rudolph creates a rich mix of parlor portraits on this personal album with a rotating team of pianists cellist David Darling, guitarist Chance Hayden, bassist Dave Captein and a variety of guests. At times, Rudolph displays a tone similar to Norah Jones, folksy with Captein and Hayden with some Asian harmonics on "Close Enough" the waltzing "Humanity" and on the Nashville reflective of "Calling Me Home." Darling is used to rich effect, with Rudolph evocative on "Butterfly Heart", speaking an intro to a story on "The Way We Love" and homey with Tom Grant's piano on "The Slow Life". Most clever and original is a slowed down and guitar strummed take of the R&B classic "Stand By Me" with Rudolph letting out each syllable like they were being rationed, with she is intimate with pianist David Goldblatt on "The Mystery". Woven tapestries of tones.